Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Getting Creative with Fiction Publicity

Nearly 20 years has passed since I walked into this world of
publishing, whether I knew it or not. Twenty years ago (March 1997) I began
writing what would become my first published novel, Shadow of Dreams. As I wrote, I knew—somehow, deep deep down—I knew this book would find itself onto
bookstore shelves.

During that time period when friends asked me, “What are you
doing with yourself these days?” (mainly because my daughter was about to graduate
from high school and possibly leave me with an empty nest), I answered,
“Writing a book.”

“Oh,” they said … “I wrote a book one time.”

Or … “Oh, I started to write a book once …”

“And then what happened?” I’d ask.

They shrugged. “Nothing.”

To which I’d think, “Well, mine is going to get published.”

And it did. Of course first I had to see three nonfiction
books with my name gracing their covers before the novel received any notice
from editors whatsoever.

Shadow
of Dreams(the first in the “Shadow Series”) told the story of a
redeemed exotic dancer, Katie Webster. The idea came to me while taking a walk
one afternoon. I smelled jasmine, which reminded me of honeysuckle, which
reminded me of home. I began to piece together a story of a woman who returns
to her hometown after 25 years of everyone—including her mother—believing her
to be dead. On her way into town, she stops to taste the honeysuckle on the
side of the road, something she hasn’t done for a quarter of a century. As the
book was being published, as the fan letters poured in, I had no way of knowing
just how significantly that one book would change my life. Not simply in
publishing terms, but in the ministry I found myself in because of it.

A new door opened at the turn of this century for Christian
fiction writers. Publishers toyed with the idea of what “story” could and
should mean in ministry. Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins had made their mark, not
only in CBA, but also in ABA. You couldn’t pass a bookstore of any sort and not see their books lining
the front shelves and tables and windows. Writers like me wanted to use our
talents to bring the harsh realities of life blended with faith to the
forefront, much as Jesus had done with his parables. Sons sleeping with pigs
and workers in the field hiding their talents were serious issues of the day.
LaHaye and Jenkins had captivated the world with the reality of the Second
Coming and all that precedes it.

The next thing I knew, with Shadow of Dreams published and fans asking for more (thus the
“series”), I became acquainted with the world of exotic dancing ministry. A two-page four-color photo
spread in the Orlando Sentinel threw my face (me, standing resolutely against a
background of neon lights advertising nude dancers) to the “Hey, I know you”
level in Central Florida. I received copies of newspaper clippings from other
parts of the country (thank you Knight Rider). The book sales went up … I saw
my first royalty check … and my heart broke for the young women and men who
find themselves trapped in a world darker than most of us can imagine. A world
I became a light in the dark places.

About this same time, as I wrote other novels about other things, I came to understand that most
Christian novelists have a difficult time advertising their stories. If the
publishing house doesn’t get behind them (especially the less-recognized
novelists), if the advertising dollars aren’t sent their way, they are left
with unfilled dreams, a warehouse somewhere full of unsold books with their
name on the cover, and no future in the business because their books didn’t
sell.

We novelists determined to survive decided we had to get creative.
And so we did.

What nugget of truth, we asked ourselves, could we possibly
use as a soapbox? In The
Potluck Club Series(co-written with Linda Evans Shepherd), which was about six
women in a small Colorado town who meet once a month to share potluck and
prayer but who somehow find more time to gossip) took off like a silver bullet
because not only had Linda and I formed the personalities of the girls after
the vast number of women we’d met at women’s conference and retreats (every
church has at least one), we also
took that notion to radio, television, magazine, and ezine-type interviews. We
made Christian women laugh … and cry. We brought reality between the cover page
and the back cover.

But after the success of our books, as we went on to write
our own works individually, I had to find a way to get the germ of each of the
novels “out there.” So I looked for that nugget of truth and I expounded on it.

Last month’s blog for The Write
Conversation showed you a little trick of mine. I
taught you, yes. That was the ultimate goal. But I also used my novels as
publicity for my novels with the
intent of making this very point in this blog
post.

It’s much easier to publicize nonfiction books. If you write
about a topic you are an expert in (say addiction or prayer or grace …), you’ll
have no trouble whatsoever in becoming the guest on any number of TV and radio
shows, blogs, etc. Gracious, when Reflections
of God’s Holy Landreleased, I spent an entire day doing radio show after radio
show after radio show. Over 25 to be exact. In one day. Talking about my trek
across Israel with my Jewish friend and best-selling author, Miriam Feinberg Vamosh
was easy and simple. We’d walked and driven and hiked and prayed and sang
together from Dan to Beer’sheva and Miriam is an expert on the land. So …

But what about books like This
Fine Life,
which centers on finding your own purpose in Christ?
Publicity had to be about that and
not solely on Mariette, whose struggle existed for a season only in my head.

So here’s the conundrum, fiction writers. We write fiction based on fact then have to publicize the fact
over the fiction.

Sometimes, I think, even Christian readers want to indulge
in a story simply because it’s a nice escape. But, for the most part, they want
that truth that will change them. Grow them. I know. I get their fan mail. They
tell me how one of my books changed them or “grew” them. How, because of my
words, their lives were turned to the Scriptures and to what God intends for
them.

Like the stories of Jesus that ministered to those who heard
His voice in the telling, ours must do
the same. Then we, as our own PR agents, must find that germ and run with it.

That’s not overly spiritual. That’s just fact for the
fiction writer. Then we must find other ways. Like writing articles about
writing books.

Eva Marie is a multiple award-winning author and speaker. She is one of the original five Orlando Word Weavers critique group members, an international and national group made up of critique chapters. She served as the original president from 2000 to 2007 and is now president of Word Weavers International, Inc. Eva Marie served as a mentor for Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild for several years and has taught at a number of writers conferences nationwide. During the 2010-2011 school year, Eva Marie served as an adjunct professor at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. She describes it as one of the best times she ever had while working. Eva Marie also serves as director of Florida Christian Writers Conference(along with Mark Hancock).

She is both a past and current student at Andersonville Theological Seminary where she plans to receive her Masters in Old Testament Theology sometime before her ninetieth birthday. Eva Marie and her husband make their home in Central Florida where they are owned by one very spoiled dog, a funky chicken, and two hearts-full of grandchildren.